warren



2 Sheets-Sheet l.

(Model.)

J. T. WARREN.

.STRAW GUTTER.

Patented, Nov.1 14

i www( (Model.)-

`2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. T. WARREN.

STRAW GUTTER. n

Patented Nov. 14,1882.

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Arnnrr FETCH@ JABEZ T. WARREN, OF LE ROY, NEW YORK.

STRAW-GUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,472, dated November 14, 1882.

Application filed August 7, 1882. (Model.)

To all tcliom 1t may concern:

Be it known that I, JABEZ T. WARREN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Le Roy, in the county of Genesee and State ot' New York, have invented a new and useful Straw or Feed Cutting Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in siraw cutters iu which circular revolving knives are used in conjunction with an automatic feeding device; and the objects of the improvements are, first, to provide circular knives (one or more inuumher) secured to longitudinal shafts which turn in independent hearings, the whole revolving around one main or driving shaft with a motion reverse to the actuating one; second, to provide means for shielding the gear mechanism and preventing the cut feed from falling thereon; third, to provide means for compensating for the wear of the cutting parts as they become worn by use; and,fourth, in the general construction of the parts, which will be fully explained hereinafter. l attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figurelis aperspective view taken from the front corner, toward which the cutters revolve, and opposite the handle. Fig. 2 is atop or plan view. Fig. 3 is the side view upon which the intermediate gear-wheels are placed, which drive the upper feed-roller. Fig. 4. is a hottom view, showing the C-shaped spring and its connection with the crossbar upon the under side of the box, also the adjusting-frame that carries the spurred or under feed-roller. Fig. 5 is a detailed view of the cutting-knives, andFig. 6 is a detailed view of the semicircular throat across which the knives are made to pass in the line of their revolution.

Similarletters refer to similar partsthroughout the several views.

A supporting-frame, A, has legs B mortised into the same, and is tied together by the longitudinal hars b. Cross-bars b connect the rear legs. The front cross-har, b2, ties together the front legs, and provides a means for bolting the machine to the floor when desired. This combination of bars, legs, Ste.,

5o forms the frame-work proper, upon which the cutting mechanism is mounted. Upon this frame there is also placed the feed-box D', supported on crossbars D. This feedbox contains the material to be operated upon by the rollers and cutters, which will be hereinafter explained.

G are circular-shaped cutters mounted upon shafts d, which revolve each upon its own axis. These shafts d have bearings in cross- 'head c', and are of equal diameter the entire length, and are made to pass through the crosshead in such a manner that any required longitudinal movement .may he given them. rlhe ends ofthe shafts remote from the cutters, having hearings in cross-head e2, do not pass entirely through the cross-head, but impinge against set-screws e, for a purpose hereinafter explained. Each of these shafts carries a spurpinion, which meshes intoa stationaryinternal circular rack, for a purpose which will he hereinafter explained. A drivin gshaft, C2, carries a pulley, c, upon which the driving-belt runs when the machinery is driven by other than hand-power. Upon this driving-shaft C2 are mounted at the proper distance from each other two cross heads, c' c2, in the ends of which are made hearings for the cutter-journals. A ruiter-gear, D, is mounted upon the drive-shaft G2, which meshes intoa-corresponding gear, D2, for a purpose hereinafter ex plained. The cutters C are bolted to a suitable head, which is secured to the cutter-shaft, and in such a manner that the said cutters may be removed from the head when it is desired to sharpen the same. Aeircular shield, E, is also secured to shaft G2, turning with the same, and interposed between the cutter and the inner crosshead, (designated e'.) This shield is to prevent the cutfeed falling among the gear-wheels or other working parts of the machine.

e are setscrews screw-threaded into the journal-bearings in the ends of cross-head e2, and abut against the ends of the shafts upon which the cutters are mounted, and by which the adjustments of the cutter-shafts are had,

for a purpose hereinafter explained.

e F F F2 F3 are spur-gears for connecting the feed-rollers, and for driving the under feedroller by the movement of 'the upper one and `at thesanie rate of speed. F is the pinion se- .wheels and idlers the feed-rollers can be brought in close proximity with each other; or they can be opened to their full capacity without changing the pitch otl the gear-wheels, as

. it will be observed that the gear-wheels and idlers are secured together by pivotal connections, so as to form jointed elbows, which are straightened or doubled up so as to give the desired spread of the feed-rollers, as will be readily understood.

G is a horizontal sha-ft placed at right angles with drive-shaft G2, having upon its inner end miter-gear D2, which meshes into mitergear D upon shaft C2, and by which motion, through intermediate gears, is imparted tothe feed-rollers.

Upon the outer end of shaft G is placed several gear-wheels ot' ditt'ereut diameters, but of the same mesh ot' teeth. These gear-wheels are run by a spline orfeather made in the shaft and fitting into corresponding recesses lin the gear-wheels, so that the said gear-wheels may be removed and changed' at pleasure by un screwing the securing-nut. These dii'erentsized gear wheels upon shaft G are made available for changing the speed of the rollers in the following manner: A gear-wheel, H, is secured to a bar, I, which is pivoted atits upper end to the shaft of the upper feed-roller. The lower end of the said bar I has an elongated slotted head, through which slot a bolt passes for Iirmly securing to the leg of the frame. This slot is upon the radius of a circle ot' which the upper roller-shaft is the center, and can be swung around upon its pivot, so that the wheel Il will mesh into any sized gear-wheel upon the shaft Grthatis within the throw ofthe slot through which the securingbolt passes.

Il is an idler, secured to the bar I by a bolt, and turning upon the same, which meshes into the gear-wheel H upon one side and into gear-wheel H2 upon the other. The wheels H L12, as wellas the idlerH, have bolts which pass through them and upon which they turn, and by which they are secured to bar I, so as to form a driving-connection between the crossshaft and feed-roller, as will be readily understood.

In order that the revolving cutters may always run in close proximity with the metallic throat J, set-screws e are screw-threaded in the bearings in the cross-head c2, as before mentioned, so that as the face of the circular cutters or the face ofthe throat becomes worn an end-thrust may be given the cutter-shafts, with a consequent movement of the cutters, thuskeepingthem squarelyagainst the metallic throat, and by turning the set-screws, the ends of which rest against the ends of the shafts, the true cutting position can always be maintained. These cutters are set diagonally of the line ofthe driving-shaft C2, so as to bring only the forward portion of the cutting-edge in close Contact with the throat, so as to lessen the friction incident to the close contact of the whole cuttingsurface with the throat, as well as to prevent clogging, for the straw is fed to the cutters in acontinuous manner, and it would impinge against the rear face of the cutters while traveling across the throat were the said cutters to collie squarely against the face of the throat-head.

To compensate for the diametrical wear of the revolving cutters, themetallic throat-piece J, as well as the feed mechanism, is mounted upon flanged plates K, having ears K', provided with vertical slots, through which securing-bolts pass, to allow ot' raising or lowering the metal portion ot' the throat and keeping.

the semicircular cutting-edge of the throat in position for the most ecient service.

L is a cross-bar underneath the feed-box, and to which the C-shaped spring M is secured at one of its ends, the other being secured to the sliding frame N, upon which the lower feed-roller, O, is mounted, and which moves vertically with the sliding frame. This sliding frame, which carries the lower roller, is made vertically adjustable, in order that a large or small quantity of material may be carried by the revolution of the feed-rollers to the throat, to be operated upon by the revolving knives.

It will be observed that by using the C shaped spring, which acts upon the lower roller through the intervention ofthe sliding frame, a uniform pressure is given to the roller, whether a large or, small quantity of straw is made to pass through between the feed-rollers.

The face-iron has a semicircular-shaped throat, J, and upon the same radius of a circle as is described by the revolution of the revolving cutters, so that as the cutters in the forward motion pass the throat a backward she'ar cut is given, and at a much less expenditure of force than is had in the'usual chopping motion of the cutters. To give this backward and shear cut, and also that a separate and reverse motion may be given the circular cutters, a circular rack, R, having cogs upon the internal surface, is secured to the frame of the cutting-box in such a manner that the pinions upon the cuttenshafts mesh into the cogs upon this stationary rack, and in the revolution of the drive-shaft which carriesl the cutters, with their journal-supports, in the forward movement, the cutter-pinions, by meshing into the gear of the stationary circular rack, are turned backward, or a reverse motion given, so that as the material to be operated upon passes through the throat it is brought directly between the peripheral edge of the circular cutters and the circular cutting-edge of the throat-iron, thus giving a circular shear IOO IIO

IIS

cut by the backward revolution of the cutters While the whole cutter-frame is revolving in the opposite or forward direction.

If desired, the metal throat may be ot' steel in place of cast-iron by either decarbonizing the iron or by having steel plates secured in any suitable manner to the said throat. A cover may be placed over the cutting mechanism, of form corresponding to and in close proximity with it, so as to prevent any upward throw of the cut feed. This cover I usually and by preference place upon my cutting-boxes. A spout may also be placed under the cutters, so as to convey the cut feed to the one side, or wherever desired.

It will be observed that the machine is adapted for use either by hand or other power, as may be desired. The feed-box D' is placed upon the frame in such a manner as not to interfere with the vertical adjustment of the feedworks by the anged plates K. The upper feed -roller is mounted in brackets S, upon either end of the roller, and bolted to the anged plates K, so as to raise or lower with the anged plates in the adjustment of the cutting mechanism. Avertical slot is made in the brackets S for the movement of the sliding frame which carries the lower roller, this slot preventing anylateral displacement ofthe sliding frame. The upper ends of the brackets S are made circular in form to correspond with the peripheral surface of the upper roller, and are anged upon their inner side to prevent any foreign matter getting between the ends of the roller and bracket to cause undue friction.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Paten of the United States, is

l. The combination of the circular cutters, mounted upon the ends of longitudinal shafts, turning in the Cross-head bearings, the pinions for imparting motion to the cutters, meshing into the circular rack, and the circular revolving shield, all arranged and operating substantial-ly as described.

2. The combination ofthe circular cuttingknives, the cross-head bearings, the shafts upon which the cutting-knives are mounted, and the set-screws resting against the rear ends of the cutter-shafts for taking up the wear upon the cutting apparatus, substantially as described.

3. rEhe combination of the anged plates K, having the vertically-slotted ears and adjusting bolts, the metallic throat J, semicircular in form, and the revolving cutter-knives, all arranged and operating substantially as described.

4. The combination ofthe flanged plates K, having the vertically-slotted ears K', brackets S, feed-rollers t' O, and iron throat J, all arranged and operating substantially as described.

5. In a feed-cutting machine, the metallic throat having a semicircular cutting-edge, in

combination with the revolving cutter mechanism, consisting ot' vertical circular cutters mounted upon horizontal shafts, and made to revolve circularly across the face of the cutting-edge, with a revolution reverse from the actuating one, substantially as herein set forth.

JABEZ T. WARREN.

Witnesses RANDOLPH BALLARD, G. W. FORD. 

